Tom Brady to serve 4-game suspension

The U.S. District Court upheld Tom Brady’s 4-game suspension following Deflategate. Count it as a win for Roger Goodell. On the same hand, mark it as an epic loss for Roger Goodell.

While the NFL prevailed in the courts in getting Brady legally suspended 4-games for having general awareness of an effort to deflate footballs ever so slightly, the real loser is the NFL.

Does the league truly benefit from publicly humiliating and suspending the face of the league over debatable consequences?

In a league where not only rules are broken, but criminal acts are conducted off-the-field at a fast pace by it’s participants, a win in Deflategate is burying the story so deep it is never talked about again.

For Roger Goodell, like so many instances in the past, he went the other way.

Most fans of the league would prefer Goodell to address more pressing matters. CTE’s, off-field violence, and rising ticket prices would top the list. Deflategate doesn’t register.

The general consensus on Brady is split unevenly. Those who care enough to wager an opinion on the matter against Brady are typically fans of rival teams. Those who back Brady generally live in the New England area.

The New England Patriots quarterback is not ready to accept the suspension. Nor should he. What was a matter of opinion has turned into a full-blown legal argument. It didn’t have to go there, but with Goodell in charge, it went there and then some.

Despite the ruling, the question still remains, should Brady be suspended? A clear answer might never come.